elsh rally driver Tom Cave will get his 2013 MSA British Rally Championship campaign underway next week, as the season begins with the Morris Lubricants Rally North Wales, based in Welshpool and close to his hometown of Aberdovey. Cave, runner-up in the 2012 series, is eager to get back at the wheel of his Citroen DS3 R3 rally car on the event which he won last year and will be carrying the coveted number one in 2013.
It has been a busy off-season for Cave; his Citroen DS3 has been rebuilt by Davies Motorsport Services, he has a new co-driver in vastly-experienced fellow Welshman Ieuan Thomas from Llanelli and he has a new partner, Morris Lubricants, which has also become title sponsor of the first round.
Tom and Ieuan have already carried out one pre-season test and have another planned immediately ahead of the event, after they were forced to cancel their plan to compete on the Border Counties Rally as a shakedown for the 2013 season, due to the bad weather.
However, despite several new additions to the team, Tom is looking forward to getting his 2013 season underway. "It feels like a very long time since I was last in the car," he said "and I'm really looking forward to getting back into the swing of it. With our 'home' rally running as the first event this year and with our partner Morris Lubricants becoming title sponsor, it couldn't start in a better way for us.
"We won the rally last year - my first international rally win - and we will be starting with number 1 on the doors, so there's a fair bit of pressure on and I guess expectations are high but last year's performance, on both this event and overall, gives me confidence." Tom also won the final round of the 2012 season, Rally Yorkshire.
The 2013 Morris Lubricants Rally North Wales uses essentially the same stages as in the past but in a slightly different order, creating a compact and time-effective event. The recce is carried out on Friday 5 April while the rally itself comprises six stages on Saturday 6 April, in two loops of three stages following a ceremonial start in Welshpool town centre at lunchtime.
Sunday 7 April sees just two stages before the ceremonial finish ramp, again in the centre of Welshpool.
Not only will Tom be chasing this year's BRC title, and the honour of becoming the youngest-ever British Champion at 21, he will also be competing in the Citroen Racing Trophy for drivers of the DS3 R3 and will be representing the Morris Lubricants DMS Rally Team, registered for the BRC Teams Cup. Naturally, Ieuan will also be scoring points for the Co-Drivers title in both the BRC and Citroen Racing Trophy categories
